Her Promise, My Sorrow
by Jeow
Summary: More like PG13. For now. Not sure of romance. Up till he was 13, Pegasus had a friend that comforted him and listened to him. She was only 8. Then she broke his heart by leaving him alone, but she promises to return . Will she come back?
1. Memories

My fanific, 'Human', is finished. This is my hew fanfic, and hopefully, it will turn out better than the last. 

Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh or the Takamura clan. Like my other fics, I'm not going to keep writing a disclaimer for each chapter, so this one goes for all of them. 

"Blah" =Speech 'Blah' =Thoughts (Blah) =Me Interrupting ~~~~~ =Time Change

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In a perfect field that swayed with perfect wildflowers and grass was a perfect hill. On that perfect hill was a perfect tree. Under that perfect tree lay 3 children, 2 girls and a boy, each one having a physical appearance quite different from the next. 

One girl had long golden hair and a sweet angelic face with azure eyes. Her skin was the color of a Georgia peach. The girl wore a pretty white sundress. She talked with a sadness that otherwise would not be in her voice, and it certainly did not match her animated personality. Next was the boy. He had unusual silver hair that went a few inches past his shoulders and he was a bit pale. He wore a simple pair of denim jeans and a long sleeved button up shirt to match. He had a handsome face and his eyes had a golden orange brilliance. They held the misty look of an artist that had yet to be tainted by society. His eyes also held the same sadness, but his pain seemed to run deeper than the girl's did. 

The two were like the Sun and the Moon. And indeed, their personalities were quite like the heavenly bodies. 

The girl was quite outgoing and her brilliant smile couldn't help but make you feel good, like a bright and sunny day. Though often, she talked too much. The boy was a bit quiet, yet mischievous. He was also quite charming. Though the girl was more noticeable, you couldn't help but be drawn to him. 

The last figure looked out of place among the other two, both who looked about 12-14 years old. The girl still had the adorable face of a child with large eyes, and her lips were still red with the youth of a small child. She had black hair that reached her shoulders and she was as pale as milk. She wore a pair of black-buckled shoes, polished to show ones reflection. Her dress was the kind you would imagine a little girl of good upbringing would be. It was of silk and it's lace hem came to her knees. Several silk ribbons and much lace adorned the rest of the frock as well. Wrapped from under her head was a red ribbon tied into a bow. On each little hand was an immaculate white glove. From the lace to the actual dress, it was all black. She looked exactly like a porcelain doll made up for a little girl's funeral. 

Even with the body of a child, she had wisdom beyond her years. The girl would be very mature, even if she were the same age as her two friends. She sat quietly on her knees with her hands in her lap and listened to her older acquaintance. A serious look was placed upon her young face. One can imagine how out of place it looked. 

"I still can't believe you have to leave us." The blonde looked at her young companion. The silver headed boy also turned to face the child; a weak and strained smile was now placed upon his features, making him look as if he were ill. 

"Yeah, now whose gonna' nag us when we want to do something stupid?" A small smile appeared on the child's face. She appreciated the older boy's attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm afraid until my training is completely finished, that you will have to look after yourself, as well as Megumi-sama." Megumi frowned even more. "'Megumi-sama'? Where did that come from? You've called me 'Big Sister' up until now." The other girl's smile became an apologetic one. "Forgive me, but I feel that I have betrayed you and I no longer have the right to address you with such familiarity. I think-" she paused for just a moment, "that it would be easier this way." "Ke-" Megumi faltered. "Takamura, I wish you luck during your training." Megumi hugged the girl. When she let go the girl, the young Takamura turned to face the silver hared boy. "I will miss you, Crawford-sama." 

Pegasus' head was cast down and he did not respond. Then his hand move upward and he did something that even the young Takamura did not expect. His hand came rushing down and slapped the girl with such force and surprise that her head whipped around and she stumbled a bit back. Megumi half rose as she stared at Pegasus with shock at his radical actions. "Pegasus!" 

The child turned her head back around and tentatively placed a hand on her cheek, as if trying to believe what had just happened. Pegasus grabbed the small girl into a crushing embrace. He sobbed into the small crook of her neck. "How could you leave us? How could you leave me?" You might find Pegasus' attachment to the little girl a bit disturbing, but it wasn't, not really. After all, she was also the one who comforted him when his mother had died, and all those other sad occasions Megumi was not present at. Including when his father would hit him. 

She was the one who kept him company on those lonely days inside his large, and empty, home. She would listen to him in the home where his father would pay the barest of attentions to him. She lived close enough that they could visit each other everyday, but no longer. This little girl had given him much advice, and shown him much care. His only source of comfort was leaving, and he couldn't stop it. 

"Kei-chan, please don't leave me all alone." 

Kei smiled a bit as she gently took Pegasus' face between her small hands. He looked so lost and lonely. He gently started to stroke the now red cheek, as if trying to soothe the stinging pain. "But you wont be alone, Big Brother." She used the term to comfort him. "You have Megumi, and besides, you two would probably fall in love, and I would just be a bother." "No!" Pegasus grabbed Kei's hands so that his larger ones almost completely engulfed them. His eyes pleaded with her. "You could never be a bother! You're my best friend, and you're leaving me like I'm nothing." He let go of her and sank to the ground on all fours. 

It may seem like Pegasus was over reacting, but he wasn't. Kei and Megumi were the only friends he had. His mother, may she rest in peace, had often been too sick to have him visit her, and his father always ignored him. The two girls were the only ones that ever paid much attention to him. Kei was almost a constant companion. If she wasn't training, she was with him. 

Kei helped him to his knees. "I wish I didn't have to leave, but like both you and Megumi-sama, I have obligations and duties. I have to leave to further my development in martial arts. And I can't even visit because even when I'm sleeping or eating I'll be training. But, I will leave you with a gift." She took Pegasus' right hand. 

There was a flash of silver, and Pegasus felt a searing pain run across the palm of his hand. He watched as a crimson red liquid now bubbled up from the gash that his darling Kei-chan had created. He looked at Kei, only to see her flinch as she ran the same blade across the palm of her own right hand. 

She then grabbed his hand with her own so that their blood mingled together. Megumi spoke up in both horror and confusion. "Kei-chan, what are you doing?!" Pegasus was wondering the same thing. She turned to Megumi. "I'm making a blood pact with Big Brother." She turned back to face Pegasus. "That means, that no matter what, I cannot break the promise I make now. I promise, on my word as a ninja, that once my training is over, that I will come return to you and be your protector." She then let go of the older boy's hand and removed a hanker chief that was tucked into one of the puffs on her shoulder and wrapped the lesion. 

As the girl of about 8 years old hugged her 'older sister' good bye, Pegasus just stared at his hand. Kei came to him, took his hand, and kissed it, like one would see someone doing to royalty. "Do not fret, my King," She smiled a bit at the joke. When they were all younger, they would pretend that Pegasus and Megumi were the king and queen, and Kei would be there loyal protector or sometimes, she would be a traitor and have a glorious battle with the king for the right to rule their island kingdom. "As I have told you before, I will return." Then she started back home, or soon to be former home. He and Megumi just sat in silence for a while, and even when she left, or when the first stars appeared, he stayed under that now almost perfect tree on that almost perfect hill in that almost perfect field. 

It wasn't quite perfect anymore, because one of the children that had made it seem so perfect was gone. 

The sun and moon remained, but where were the stars? 

Megumi would still be there, but she wouldn't be there as often as Kei had. She wouldn't understand as well as his best friend had. She was still his friend though, and perhaps Kei was right. Perhaps, he and her could become something more.

But still; now each day when the sun rose to greet the East and dawn broke into morning, there would no longer be a friendly face waiting on that hill to greet him. No longer would there be a caring soul under that tree waiting to hold him and give him comforting words as he wept. 

That cut meant she wasn't leaving him forever though. She was coming back, right? 

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Many years passed since that day, and the now silver hared man and the angel faced women never heard from their raven hared friend. Soon after they were wed, Megumi died, and Pegasus J. Crawford was once again plagued with loneliness. He loved Megumi because she tried her hardest to be there for him, and he was heart broken for the fourth time in his life when she died. The first time he was heart broken was when his mother had died; the second had been when Kei had left him and Megumi. The third had been when his father had beaten him black and blue, telling him he was a worthless piece of shit just because he wanted to pursue a career as an artist. When he married Megumi, it seemed like he would finally be happy, but illness had struck her down. 

Then he turned to darker methods to find happiness. He felt the Sennen Items were his chance at bringing his beloved back to him. It was more of an attachment to her than love. He didn't want to be left alone again, especially by the person he supposedly fell in love with. The last person on earth that he cared for had died, and he needed her back. Of course, heart break and sorrow found him for the fifth time, when his Sennen Eye was taken from him, along with the one chance at bringing back the one person that wasn't supposed to leave him. Memories of his once best friend had been sealed away at that time, to help lessen the pain. Those memories were the most logical ones to seal away. His mother and Megumi were dead and weren't around so he couldn't say they were alive. He couldn't ignore the fact that his father had forced him into a career that he didn't want, or he would be an artist at the moment. So, since Kei wasn't around, and hadn't been for quite some time, he could simply assume she had never existed, so he didn't have to deal with the painful fact that she had left. 

Pegasus J. Crawford, age 28, might as well have been a soulless shell. 

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Somewhere in the waters around Japan, was a beautiful, privately owned island. On this island, there were sea cliffs, beaches (Duh!), and a giant forest. In the center of this island, was a beautiful castle! But the beauty of the island and castle hid the emptiness that lay beneath. Few people lived at the castle except the staff. There were bodyguards for the man who lived there. The man who lived there never went out, though. 

He lay in his bed all day, getting out only to use the bathroom, and he hardly ever ate, and since he hardly ever ate, he was exceedingly thin. His face was gaunt and his eyes were glazed with sorrow. They no longer held that once golden gleam. He sat there thinking of his wife, and how he could never bring her back. He thought of his childhood, about how he used to sit under a tree with her, and they would simply talk about anything. Strange, he seemed to recall another person with them constantly. A young girl if he remembered correctly. Then a glimmer of pain ran through his proverbial heart. It hurt him to remember the little girl. Then another memory flashed across his mind. The girl cut his hand. He remembered the pain. She was telling him something. It sounded like a promise. More pain hit his heart, but he was still in his flashback. She kissed his hand and said something that made him fell a little better, then she left, and he felt more pain. A lot of pain. It was like when Megumi died. Then all of a sudden he was back in his dark room, sitting in his bed. He looked at his right hand. It was near skeletal, making his fingers look extremely long and ghostly. Running across the middle of his hand was a faint, white scar. Tears ran down his ashen face. He formed his first real thought in quite a while. 'What is this pain? Who was that girl?' 

Little did know, flying in on his own company helicopter, was his new assistant, hired by the other board members of Industrial Illusions to help get Pegasus back to business. 

A young woman of about 23 sat still, hands in her lap, looking out the window. Her waist length black hair was pulled back into a braid, tossed over to one side of her neck, touching her lightly tanned skin. Her ice blue eyes were staring at the water, but her minds eye was far away somewhere else, looking upon a perfect field of wildflowers, and in that perfect field was a perfect hill, perfectly sloped for rolling down on. On that perfect hill was a perfect tree, and sitting under that perfect tree was a boy with silver hair, waiting for her. 

'Wait just a little longer. I'll keep my promise.' 

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Well there's the first chapter for you. I hoped you all liked it. Could someone please answer the following questions? 

1. What is the Japanese word for 'Older Sister'? 

2. What is the Japanese word for 'Older Brother'? 

3. Is it 'Maximillion Pegasus' or 'Pegasus J. Crawford'? 

And this one is for all the readers: 

4. Do you want a romance to develop?

Well, READ AND REVIEW! 


	2. Warm Welcomes

"Blah" =Speech 'Blah' =Thought (Blah) =Me Interrupting ~~~~~ =Time or Scene Change 

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From the island known as Duelist Kingdom, you could see a helicopter fast approaching, carrying a young woman that was eager to land. She wore a white blouse and a red skirt. In her hand, she held a case containing her laptop and several documents. They finally landed and the woman stepped out of the helicopter. 

"Welcome to Duelist Kingdom, Miss Takamura." A man with sunglasses, (Don't they all have sunglasses?) gray hair and a mustache to match greeted her. "My name is Croquet and I will be showing you to around the castle including your rooms. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask." And indeed, Kei did not hesitate. 

"Well, I was hoping I would be able to see Crawford-sama right away." The already difficult looking man frowned, making him look even more unpleasant. "I'm afraid that that is quite impossible at the moment. Crawford-sama has yet to be informed of your arrival and it is doubtful that he is in any condition to receive guests." Kei stood up straighter and a more serious expression replaced the somewhat nervous expression that her face originally had. 

"Croquet-san," she started in a business like tone. "I must respectfully ask that you acknowledge my request. I once made a very important promise to your employer that I am very eager to keep, and I swear upon Gods name that if you do not take me to see him at this moment, I will search every room of the castle myself and outdo every bodyguard if I have to. And as my surname is Takamura by birthright, you know very well I could do just that." It was true. The Takamura clan was known as the most mighty ninja clan in the country. They produced such outstanding bodyguards, that they themselves were the ones who chose who they wished to protect. 

Gulping nervously, Croquet responded by saying, "As you wish, Takamura-san." 

Almost immediately after that, Croquet proceeded in guiding Kei through the twisting hallways and corridors of the castle until they finally reached the entrance of the castle's owner, made up of huge, white double doors. 

"This is Crawford-sama's room. I will wait outside to take you to your rooms." 

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Pegasus' head whipped up from his hand and looked on as he heard a creaking sound come form the direction of the door with his one good eye. The fireplace flickered as if responding to his sudden movement. Which imprudent servant would dare disturb their delirious master? He saw a high-heeled shoe step through the doorway. The maids in the castle didn't wear high-heeled shoes, so who could it have been? He was a bit surprised as he saw a sharply dressed woman step through the door. 

Pegasus scowled. She was probably another representative from the company. Why couldn't those bastards leave him as is? 

"Go away!" he shouted. "The other board members can take care of the company themselves. Tell them to stop hiring people to get me working, because it's just a waste of money." The woman closed the door behind her and stepped closer. Her face was covered by the shadows, as if the woman's appearance was too ghastly and the darkness was protecting him from the hideous sight. 

The mere presence of the woman was horrible enough. The man just wanted to be left alone in his misery. 

"Stay back!" The shadow of a man fisted his hands into the bed sheets. Through the cascade of silver hair, Pegasus' face was twisted into a snarl, made even more grisly by the fact that his fine cheekbones protruded from his face while his smoldering eyes sank in, like a skeleton with lips and coals in the sockets. There was a phantom shadow around his eyes, making him look crazed. He could see the still shadows around the woman's face twisting, like a veil of black silk. 

She was smiling. 

Pegasus roared at the girl for showing him what seemed like mockery. "How dare you smile in my presence! How dare you smile while I can not!" He then let out a choked sob and his voice quieted. "Do you wish me to mock me in the moment of my greatest sorrow? Leave me in peace."

In truth, Kei could not help but smile at the sheer irony of the situation. It wasn't a light happy smile, but a grim one, though Pegasus obviously could not see that. 

He heard her voice speak for the first time since she had arrived. 

"I remember a time when you wished for me to be by your side instead of away." Pegasus went wide-eyed at the comment. 

"What do you mean? Who are you?" "I will tell you if you permit me to come closer to you." Pegasus battled with his curiosity for a moment. Curiosity won. "Alright." 

The room was so silent that he heard the sound of her footsteps, even though the thick carpeting muffled them. She stepped ever closer. She was next to his bed, and she sat down on the edge. Pegasus immediately scooted away. "Don't you remember me?" Pegasus peered ever more closely at the woman. His face moved closer to hers, inch by inch till both their noses nearly touched. Where had he seen that face before? Those eyes... Those eyes seemed so familiar. 

Then the woman's face seemed to morph right before his eyes into that of a little girl's. Pegasus drew back and gasped in horror. It was the same girl from his visions! A name surfaced in his mind. It was her name. 

"Kei." 

Kei gave a small, but genuinely happy smile this time. "Then you do remember." 

But Pegasus was terrified it seemed. He moved to the farthest corner of the bed away from her. He then proceeded in burying his face in his lap and covering his ears with his spindly hands. He started to rock back and forth

"NO! Leave me in peace, baneful vision. Why do you insist on torturing me with ghosts of the past?" He continued to sob into his lap. 

Kei's eyes widened just a bit. 'This poor soul. He's so haunted by his past, he's plagued with hallucinations.' Guilt momentarily crossed her mind and she cast her eyes down for a moment, almost too ashamed to look at Pegasus. 

'I should have been there to protect him.' She looked at him again. 'What's past is past. I have to be here for him now.' 

With that thought finished, she kicked her shoes off and slowly made her way to Pegasus. 

Pegasus cried and rocked harder as he felt the bed shift when Kei approached. "Please, just leave me in peace. I can't take anymore of this." 

Kei did not listen to his word. She was now by his side. Kei wrapped her arms around him and placed her hands behind his head so her hands were entangled in the silver strands of hair. Pegasus froze as he felt Kei's arms on his back. 

"Do you remember, Aniki, when you would come up our little hill crying and I would hold you like this? Then you would always apologize about subjecting a little girl to the sins of the world." Pegasus garbled voice reached her ears. "Then you would tell me that you didn't mind, everyone should have someone to share their burdens with." He looked up at her in bewilderment. Kei's eyes widened a bit as she stared into Pegasus' eyes. While the right iris was the same golden-orange color she remembered it, the left one was yellow. She gently ran her thumb under it, being as gentle as she could incase she would be able to rub off the others skin in his delicate state. 

"What's wrong with your eye, Aniki?" She used the term once again, hoping to comfort him further. "I'm blind in that eye, Kei-chan. It's a long and painful story I would rather not like to speak of." Pegasus closed his eyes, remembering the painful memories. "Alright," said Kei in a quiet voice. 

"I never did comprehend how a child could understand my feelings." Kei smiled and stroked Pegasus' hair. "Not all children are children on the inside. Some are very mature, or are simply forced to grow up fast." 

Pegasus tentatively reached a hand up to touch her face. His fingernails had grown long from weeks of not cutting them. They pushed into the soft cushion of her cheek. "Are you really here, after all these years?" "Yes Aniki. I'm finally done with my training. I'm here to fulfill my promise and be here for you." Pegasus looked hopefully at Kei. "Then you're not here as a company worker?" Kei looked away slightly. "Well, that much is true." Then a disheartened look appeared on Pegasus face once more. "Then you lied. You're just here to-" Kei interrupted. "No. I just applied for the job offer sent out by Industrial Illusions to be aloud on this island. I don't care whether you sell the company or just not work anymore as long as you allow me to stay here." Pegasus panicked and placed his hands around Kei's head as he brought it to his chest. "Please don't leave me, not again." He held her close, as he feared she would leave him for good this time. 'Stay with me forever.' Kei smiled softly as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'll stay as long as you want." 

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Kei left Pegasus' room after a long time of just him holding her. For a short time, she though he had fallen asleep. That theory was quickly put to rest when she a heard a quiet voice say, "You can go to your room now." She gave Pegasus one last hug and whispered into his ear, "send for me when you want me." With that, she got up from the bed, picked up her shoes, and left the darkened room. 

Needless to say, Croquet was a bit perturbed at the fact that Kei was disheveled and she was carrying her shoes. "Please, don't ask." Kei said this as if she had read the man's mind. And as she thought, he didn't. She was immediately shown to her room. "If you are ever needed, I will come to fetch you. Otherwise, you are to stay in this room. If you wish to be shown to the gardens, please ask. Food will be delivered directly to your room. Enjoy your stay." Kei frowned after the door shut. 'It's like a prison in here.' 

The room, um, well, it certainly looked nice. The carpet was very soft and was white. There was a lovely walk in closet at the end of one wall. On another was a beautiful vanity with a three-sided mirror with bureaus on either side of it. The mirror itself was edged with a vine and ivy design made from cherry wood. Next to it was a lovely Japanese screen designed with Sakura's that she could change behind of she chose to. The walls were white. No, scratch that. They were an incredibly light green. It seemed that someone had painted designs of iv ivy and flowers on the walls. It must have taken a group of people to get it finished in a good time range. One wall was just one very large window. In the center was a pair of glass doors that led to a terrace. On the terrace were a table and a pair of chairs at the sides with a canopy standing over it, protecting it from rain or shine. In the center of wall parallel to the terrace, was a four-poster bed with a canopy and curtains. The bedspread, the curtains and the pillow covers were all made of emerald green silk. The bathroom was made of white marble swirled with black. 

Despite her being a Takamura, a very rich family indeed, it was more than she was used to. For the past 15 years, she was trained in harsh environments such as the mountains and deserts and she was often given simple foods while she slept on a simple futon. When they weren't training they're bodies, she and her other relatives were being trained in history, the arts, table manners, dancing, the application of both stage make-up and normal makeup, technology, medicines, and of course, poisons. She was now done with that and she didn't have to train anymore. She was trained as the highest level of bodyguard and she was finally able to choose her first, and hopefully, only client. 

Her luggage was already in the room. She had picked out casual clothing, not really feeling like wearing suites all the time. She was also taught the art of wearing disguises, so she could either look like a partying diva, or a serious businessman. 

It was turning dark outside so she flipped a switch that she assumed turned on the lights. They did. Her dinner was brought up to her. It was very tasty. Much better than anything she would have had in training. She then took a shower and dressed in Chinese style bedclothes. She was rather fond of Chinese style clothing. With that done, she turned out the lights, and looked forward to a night where she didn't have to be worried about being ambushed by ninjas. 

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Thanks to all who reviewed (All one of you!). Please read and review. I wish for 5 reviews. Please give them to me.


	3. Don't Leave Me

"Blah" =Speech 'Blah' =Thoughts (Blah) =Me Interrupting ~~~~~ =Scene and/or Time Change 

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In the night, a frantic yell was heard reverberating through the soulless halls of the island castle, though not many heard it since the castle walls muffled the sound. In one of the rooms, ice blue eyes snapped open as the figure jumped into a fighting stance from their bed. Another muffled yell echoed out. 

Kei's eyes shifted to the dark corners of the room until she realized where she was. Her stance eased. Then one word shot through her sleep-deprived mind, clearing it in a second. 'Pegasus'. She threw on a robe and she raced through the empty corridors of her new home up to her new employer's doors. They were already open and she stepped over the threshold to see several of her friend's bodyguards trying to hold him down as he tried to jump out of his bed in a fit of delirium. The man known to her as Croquet stepped into her line of vision. "Takamura-san, what are you doing up at this hour?" Kei answered as she tried to pass by him. "I heard someone yell and I was curious to see who it was." "You need not worry yourself, please return to your room." That's when Croquet made the mistake of touching Kei. She easily threw clear across the large room. This caught the attention of the others. The woman standing before them looked at them with the promise of death on her face. "Move". With that, she sent everyone in the room, besides herself and her dear Aniki, scrambling for the door. She rushed to the side of her poor friend. 

She held him in her arms, trying to limit his movement in a way that wasn't too obvious. "Aniki, calm down." She whispered comforting words in his ear. He calmed a bit and seemingly came back to his senses. "Kei-chan?" Pegasus grasped her head and brought it to his chest as he had the day before. He stroked her hair and murmured words that she couldn't quite understand. He lay down on his bed and held her close to him. He brought her chin up so her eyes would meet his own. He started to whisper to her. "I dreamt you left me again. You told me you hated me." Kei brought her hand to his face and smoothed back his hair. "I could never leave or hate you. I promised I would stay and you're very dear to me, you know that, right?" The room was silent for a long moment, then Pegasus responded. "How can I believe you?" His face held no emotion. It was near impossible to tell what he was thinking. Kei placed her hands over his still larger ones. "I don't know. You just have to trust me." 

Pegasus moved his hands away form her. The room was silent again. The air was absolutely still, as if the night had just taken a deep breath and was waiting for the right moment to release it. Pegasus' gaunt face remained as stone, showing no emotion to reveal what he was thinking. Suddenly, his arm started to move upwards, towards her face. His arm moved agonizingly slow. Slowly, but surely, his hand inched ever closer to Kei's face, and when it was close enough to touch her, Pegasus' hand hesitated. Instead, his hand dropped, and then both his arms moved towards her. The seemingly frail arms enclosed around her torso in an iron grip. "Stay," said Pegasus quietly. "Stay with me tonight." 

Kei lay down with Pegasus in his depression-ridden bed and pulled the sheets around the both of them. As Kei lay in Pegasus arms asleep, the silver-hared man himself lay awake, his thin hand stroking her hair with a remarkably gentle steadiness. 

"Stay with me forever." 

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The morning sun crept warily upon Duelist Kingdom. The spell of sleep upon Kei lifted a few hours after that. She realized that there was someone in bed with her. She looked up to see gold and orange staring back at her with a steady gaze. That's when she recalled what had happened. 

She didn't say anything, not wishing to ruin the moment, but to her surprise, it was her beloved Aniki who spoke first. 

"Ohayo, Kei-chan." The corners of his lips lifted just ever so slightly. He looked younger. "Ohayo, Aniki." It remained silent for a while, when Kei finally spoke up. "I think you should eat something." Kei just couldn't ignore how incredibly thin Pegasus was. "Don't worry," Pegasus replied. "Someone always brings breakfast up to my room, even if I don't often eat it." His voice sounded a bit weak, and it cracked every now and again from the lack of use. Sure enough, a knock on the door was heard, signaling that breakfast had arrived. Kei reluctantly left her Aniki's embrace to answer the knock. Pegasus even more reluctantly let go. 

When Kei opened the door, there was no one there to greet her but what looked like a serving cart. She brought it into the dark room. It had some warm porridge with cinnamon sprinkled on top, a glass of milk and juice, and slice of toasted bread, and something else. It was a bowl of beautiful, juicy, ripe blackberries swimming in thick cream. It looked delicious. 

Kei brought the tray on the serving cart over to Pegasus and urged him to eat some, which he did. He ate a few of the berries and some juice as well as a bite or two of the porridge. He refused to eat one bite more and instead urged Kei to eat the rest, which she did somewhat unhappily. 

As Kei was about to leave the room to get into proper clothing, Pegasus stopped her. "Don't leave." Kei's face fell. "But I need to go change my clothes." Pegasus' face became more desperate. "Can't you do that in here? You..." his voice became soft. "I don't want to be left alone." Kei kneeled down next to the bed where Pegasus was now sitting up. "Alright. I'll send someone for my clothes and I'll wash up in here. " Her tone of voice became uncertain. "You must realize, Aniki, that we should be trying to get your company back on track." Pegasus looked away. "Yes. I'll get to that today." 

Kei did send someone for her clothes and stepped into the bathroom to change and wash up. Pegasus just stared at the bathroom door. That woman was really his darling Kei-chan? How could she have changed so much? She was beautiful, breathtaking, and inhuman all at once. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Her eyes were all knowing. But her skin was still as fine as a china doll's and her lips were still red as if from youth. Her body had grown into that of a woman. Would she still sit there and listen to him, or would she grow weary of him, time and age thinning her patience? Her presence warmed him, as Megumi had never done. It had always been that way. Even when Kei was a small child, Pegasus had preferred her presence to that of the womanly Megumi. 

Kei was a comfort to him when his father had beaten him. She was a mother his real mother couldn't be. She had been the companion Megumi hadn't be. The thought of seeing her again one day kept him going when his heart had failed him. He couldn't let her leave here; not after all he had been through just to see her again. But Pegasus knew that no matter how hard he tried that if Kei wanted to leave, he would let her. She could destroy the world for all he cared. She would still be Kei, his dear, dear, Kei-chan. He would do anything for her, because she had cared for him, and listened to him, and comforted him. All that ranting about Megumi, and now he hardly felt anything for the poor girl. 

Kei stepped out of the bathroom in a pair of jeans and a tee shirt, very different from what she had worn yesterday. The two of them went almost immediately to work. Kei did most of the heavy work since her dear Aniki was still extremely weak. They worked hours until it was late in the evening, or more accurately, early in the morning. 

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Pegasus gazed at the exhausted figure of his companion as she worked on the computer. Her eyes had dark circles under them as she had been trying all day to put things back into proper order. He himself had been reviewing files and signing things. His hand was badly cramped. 

"Well," started Kei. "It's a good thing that you seem to have some smart advisors. They kept the company from most of the damage that could have happened in your absence. In a few months, maybe even in a few weeks, Industrial Illusions will be back in top working order." She stretched back, cracking her neck. 

"For now, It's time for you to go to sleep." Pegasus was indeed tired, and one could tell. But to tell the truth, he looked healthier the last few days Kei had been there than he had in the last few months. Kei stood up from the chair she'd had her buttocks planted in for most of the day and stretched out her legs while she let out a sort of groan. "But what about you?" Kei simply walked over to her companion, sat down next to him and took his hands in her own. "I still have some papers to work on and some files to work out, but I'll be finished with it soon." Pegasus looked at her curiously. "How do you know my computer systems so well?" Kei sweat-dropped and gave him a sort of sheepish grin. "Um, I'll explain that to you tomorrow. For now, you need to get some rest." 

"Will you be here tomorrow when I wake up?" Kei seemed to freeze, then she relaxed. "Aniki, I'm not going to be around all the time, you know." Pegasus looked down at their entwined hands. He was aware that there was a faint scar running down his beloved's palm, mirroring the one on his own hand. "I know" responded Pegasus quietly. Kei leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on his forehead, then smoothed back Pegasus' hair and looked into his mismatched eyes. "Sleep" she said, and the silver hared man obeyed, his dreams recalling the first time those soft red lips had graced his face. 

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That's all for now. READ AND REVIEW! Why won't you review? You're all so evil! 

Next Chapter: Flashback to when Kei and Pegasus first met. 


	4. Flashback

Thank you Moon of Darkness and Sorrow for your review. Reviews make me happy.

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The voice of a young boy cried out through the halls of a lonely estate, while only servants were present to cringe at the pain filled voice. Another cry rang out, as none other than his own father beat the boy. His frail body shook with soft sobs as his father left his room 'What did I do wrong?' the boy thought to himself. 'Why did he hit me?' The boy whimpered as he stood, his silver hair brushing his shoulders. He felt as if he had been wrapped with an iron blanket covered with thorns. He stumbled to his bed and plopped down like a stone, which hurt him even though the bed was extremely soft. Young Pegasus had no idea why his own father would beat him, but it might have been better that way. 

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Achilles Crawford was not exactly right in the head, that was no secret, but he was also a brilliant man. He was worth billions. He had a wife, which he was dangerously in love with. He was almost obsessed. He had only become rich in order to fulfill her every whim. He hated it when she talked to anyone else but him and he hardly let her do anything with anyone outside of the estate. He had his home built far from civilization for this particular reason. His wife, Andromeda, soon saw the restrictions that her husband had put on her life, but there was nothing she could do. Her husband watched her life with such scrutiny that she would never be able to leave. When Andromeda became pregnant, she was overjoyed. She had always loved children. But she was a frail woman, and her doctors said that she might not survive the birth of her child. Her husband begged her to get an abortion; afraid he might either lose his wife to death or to a child. But she ignored everyone, for she was already in love with her unborn son. 

Andromeda gave birth to her son, and survived to only be weakened by the ordeal. She couldn't help but smile widely as her son cooed in that oh so adorable baby language. Even Achilles, who had been quite jealous, could not help but smile. The boy looked like his mother. He had the same eyes and hair, and the same gentle features, if not a bit more manly. It seemed that Andromeda spent more time with her husband now that her son had been born. She wanted her son to have both a mother and a father, as she had been lacking in the father department. But as the days went on, Andromeda's weak condition worsened. She was slowly dying. Achilles wanted to hate his son, but he couldn't. Achilles could barely look at his son anymore. Pegasus looked too much like his mother. So he sent his son away to another estate, to be raised by nursemaids and governesses, and visiting infrequently. 

Andromeda begged her husband to bring her son back, but Achilles turned a blind eye to the love that his wife had for their son and insisted that he himself was all she needed. It came to the point where she became so weak; she could no longer communicate with the outside world. This brings us to the home of a 9-year-old boy who was about to receive a disturbing visit from his father. 

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A man in his thirties sat in a room with his back to the door and a snifter in his hand. His breath reeked of scotch. The door to the room opened as a boy with silver hair stepped through. It was the first visit he'd had from his father in 2 years, not that he cared. His father was a near stranger to him. Someone whom he had to show proper etiquette towards, that's all. 

"Konnichiwa, otou-san. How are you this lovely afternoon?" His eyes shifted. Pegasus now realized that something about his father was amiss now that he saw how the room had been darkened and his father had failed to respond with the usual polite response and question. He didn't say anything, however. Achilles stood up from the chair and turned to face his wife's doppelganger. Pegasus looked at him with curiosity. "You little brat!" Achilles words were slurred as a result from the amount of alcohol he'd had. "It's because of you she's dying!" Achilles punched Pegasus in the ribs, sending the frail boy to the wall. "O-Otou-san," sputtered the dreamy eyed boy through his teeth. "You should have never been born!" Achilles kicked the boy and shouted insults at him for some time when finally Pegasus spoke up once more. "Please stop!" Tears streamed down his face while he put up his arms in front of him, hoping to at least delay his fathers assault. Achilles froze, for he saw not his son, but he saw the visage of his wife. His eyes widened in horror as he backed away. His mouth opened and closed as if he were trying to say something, but he just looked like a great big fish instead. This brings us to our present time. 

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Pegasus cried himself to sleep. It was bad enough that he was lonely, but now he had blue spots all over his body to match his mood. It was late afternoon when Pegasus woke up. He needed to go. This house, his room, everything was a reminder of how he could never live his dreams. His doubts, however, were the very chains that bound him to his prison; not that he knew that. He had to remember that he should drift through the world as if it were a dream. Lessons learned and a person met were just more numbers to be memorized and words to be remembered. If you don't care about anything, nothing will hurt. But eventually, he had to wake up, and he craved something tangible, something in this hell of his he could have hope for. 

He liked to paint and to draw and to play music. Through these acts he could create his own little worlds of happiness and loneliness, love and hate. He could make people who cared about him, who loved him. But in the end, they weren't real. He was still alone. 

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He passed by servants through the halls uninterrupted as he went through the front door of the house in which he stayed. No one cared enough about him to even bother to ask where he was going. The grounds of the estate his father had given were beautiful, but Pegasus hated them. The flowers, the trees, the lagoon-like areas were all too perfect. They were all too convenient. They were all too fake. Things that were fake were like dreams, and all dreams faded away. That's why he liked Megumi. 

Megumi was the one girl he knew that was what she seemed. She had that sweet and gentle personality all other bratty, rich girls only pretended to have. She was real, and she listened, but she didn't understand and she didn't try to. But she was pinprick of light in the dark sea of his life. She was something he could use to keep from drowning, but for how long? 

He exited the gate, and he pushed pass the tall grass in his way. There was a hearty breeze blowing against him. He trudged on for what seemed an eternity, as it always did, but he finally reached his destination. It was a hill where the grass wasn't tall and often had flowers growing up it's sloped sides. And perched on the top was a lovely peach tree, currently in bloom with its creamy blossoms. It looked oddly out of place, but it wasn't manmade, it wasn't fake. That hill with its odd, real beauty would be there for many years to come. 

He considered the hill his own little dream world where he wasn't himself. He was just another boy stopping to rest under the tree's branches. He closed his eyes as another strong breezed blew past him, carrying the smell of sun-baked grass and sleepy flowers. He climbed up on the hill on all fours, feeling the dirt and grass between his fingers. 

Much to his surprise, someone had broken into his bubble of perfection. 

A little girl lay under his tree, napping comfortably. She couldn't have been older than 5. She looked like a cherub with full, round cheeks and red-pink lips, her chubby white hands under her short, shining hair. She looked so peaceful in his little bubble that he had no heart to wake her, but she woke up anyway. The little girl sat up and looked at him confusedly with bleary eyes. 

The little girl saw a slim boy in a white shirt with silver hair shining like water in the sun and she thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. 

"Are you an angel?" asked the little girl innocently. Pegasus looked at her, slightly perturbed. "N-no." He kneeled down so his eyes were closer to eye level with her. Then he asked quietly, "Are you?" The little girl giggled then replied, "Of course I'm not. That's a silly question." Pegasus looked at the girl with and annoyance. "Well, you asked the question first." The little girl said simply, "Because angels are beautiful," she pointed at him," and you're beautiful. But" she pointed at herself; "I'm not beautiful. That's why it's a silly question." Pegasus looked at her with surprise. 'She thinks... I'm beautiful?' His cheeks burned as he blushed. 

The girl frowned. "Are you a martial artist?" Pegasus snapped out of his slight daze. "W-what? Oh, um, no. Why?" The girl pointed at his face. "Because your face has a bruise." Pegasus' hand quickly moved up to his cheek and he felt the bruise forming where his father had hit him. He felt the magic of the moment slip away and the pain of reality returned. He couldn't help but let one tear escape. 'Heart into ice. Ice does not feel. Ice can't feel pain.' The girl leaned forward on her knees and touched the hand that held the boy's cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." Pegasus looked into the girl's eyes and nearly gasped. Her eyes were a lovely, pure blue, like the sky. She looked truly concerned for him, a complete stranger. Ah, the innocence of a child. To him, she was loveliest creature in the world. 

"You're hurting inside. Why?" He was even more surprised now. The girl's tone of voice seemed to change. Instead of the innocence, there was now a soft want to understand. 

Did she really care? 

"I'm lonely." The girl smiled and hugged the boy, much to his wonder. "Me too." "Don't you have a family?" The girl looked up into his golden-orange eyes. "I could ask you the same thing." 

Could she really understand? 

" I have been raised by those who don't care." "Me too. The people who raised me aren't my real parents, so they don't care about me all that much." Pegasus' eyes widened. "You mean you're a foundling?" The girl gave him a sort of bland expression. "Oh, is that what it's called. T hey treat me funny because I'm different. It makes me feel lonely." She smiled brightly. "We can be each other's friend! That is, if you think it's a good idea." The little girl became suddenly shy. She was so sweet, so understanding. She was lonely too. 

Would she leave him? 

"If we're going to be friends, I think it would be wise if we knew each other's names." The little girl smiled brightly. She backed away from Pegasus and curtsied. "I'm Kei. Who're you?" "My name is Pegasus." "It's very nice to meet you." 

Kei leaned forward and took Pegasus' face between her hands. She placed a gentle kiss on Pegasus' bruised cheek. He looked at her in wide-eyed confusion, blushing just a bit. No one had ever kissed him before. Occasionally, his nanny would give him a peck on the cheek, but this kiss felt different, nicer, in a way. 

"I've heard that a kiss can make anything feel better." Pegasus' eyes softened. He looked gently at the girl, then pulled her close. He held that tiny, smooth hand in his own, and held that soft face with the other. Pegasus bent down and kissed Kei tenderly. He felt the silkiness of her cheek, the softness of her lips. Innocence and loneliness in it's purest form. Their lip's parted. " You're right, that kiss made my heart feel better." 

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Never again did the two lonely children kiss. They did, however, find solace in their friendship. Megumi cared for Kei as well, just not to the degree that Pegasus did. 

As he dreamt of that moment, Pegasus found himself happy, lost in a memory of perfection. 

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READ AND REVIEW!! IF YOU DON'T, I'LL CRY!!


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